Foreigners Face Long Waits, Early Mornings for Residence Permits in French Prefecture

It’s a real obstacle course for these foreigners applying for residence permits or renewals. Last Tuesday at 6:30 am, Lazare-Escarguel Street in Perpignan was already teeming with a dozen of them. They were waiting for the opening of the Citizenship and Legality Department of the Pyrénées-Orientales Prefecture, which is located inside the Ortaffa hotel. "The reception of users is now open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 am to 11 am. For security reasons and depending on the flow, the doors of the Ortaffa hall may be closed earlier," informs the management on its website.

On each opening day, the center issues no more than 50 entry tickets. To be sure to get a ticket, you must ensure you’re among the first to arrive. Rachid (assumed name), 59, who couldn’t succeed on Monday, showed up on Tuesday at 2 am. "On Monday, I came around 6 am, there were too many people. There were more than a hundred of us waiting, it was chaos. I couldn’t get a ticket. I came for nothing... So this time, even though the counter only opens at 9 am, I arrived at 2 am to be sure to get in," confides to L’Indépendant the man who has been living and working in France for nearly 30 years.

Jean-Paul has been in line since 3:30 am. The 22-year-old Guinean residing in France for 7 years left empty-handed the day before, like Rachid. "Yesterday, I came at 6 am. I couldn’t get in. My previous proof has expired. I just have a receipt that certifies the procedure is ongoing. It serves as an official document while waiting for the next one and allows me to work. It’s valid for six months," explains this plumber. Najat, a 29-year-old Moroccan, has also been in line since 5 am. Residing in France since 2016 and renewing her permit every year, this special education teacher is preparing a file for a 10-year residence permit.

"It hasn’t been blocking like this for very long. For my previous requests, I would arrive at 9 am and go straight in. There was no queue. An agent told me there’s a system problem since our files are no longer processed here in Perpignan, but in Montpellier," details the young woman who fears missing a professional opportunity because of this administrative burden: "My employer is offering me a permanent contract, but I can’t sign until the permit is renewed. I’m afraid that if it takes too long, a temporary worker will take my place and I’ll miss out on the contract..."

About 70 foreigners were waiting in front of the Citizenship and Legality Department just before the 9 am opening. "Ladies and gentlemen, I remind you, I will only distribute 50 tickets. Only the first 50 will enter. One altercation on the public road and we stop everything. I’ll only let 20 in if necessary!" threatens a prefecture agent before opening. "We realized that we were handling about 50 situations each morning. Rather than making them wait, we implemented this ticket system since the end of last year," explains Bruno Berthet, Secretary General of the Pyrénées-Orientales Prefecture.